PETA’s Statement on Eagles Vick Signing

Written by PETA | August 14, 2009

PETA and millions of decent football fans around the world are disappointed that the Philadelphia Eagles have chosen to sign a man who hanged dogs from trees, electrocuted them with jumper cables, held them underwater until they drowned in his swimming pool, and even threw his own family dogs into the fighting pit to be torn to shreds while he laughed. What sort of message does this send to young fans who care about animals and don’t want to see them be harmed?

PETA certainly hopes that Vick has learned his lesson and feels truly remorseful for his crimes—but since he’s given no public indication that that’s the case, only time will tell. At this point, all Eagles fans can do is cross their fingers and hope that they won’t ever have to explain to their sons and daughters what a “rape rack” is and why their favorite player was using one, as Falcons fans once had to.

Written by Dan Shannon

Update: Many people have asked us how to complain to the NFL. You can send an e-mail to the NFL through its official contact form here. You can call the main office of the Philadelphia Eagles at 215-463-2500, and you can find mailing addresses here.

Also, please click here to join PETA in asking the NFL to require all its players—some of whom have been involved in a series of cruelty-to-animals cases—to attend PETA’s “Developing Empathy for Animals” course. You can also urge the NFL to take cases of animal abuse seriously in the future by updating its policy on personal conduct.

Commenting is closed.

Michael Vick should be booed out of any stadium where he plays. He is a brutal, evil sociopath who will end up paying dearly at some point for his inhumanity if karma has any validity. I don’t hate him, I despise him.

That Vick is a mentally deranged psycho. Who needs to see his ugly face again in the sports world. He is a wicked, cruel nasty Barbarian. USA people should be ashamed of this idiot who is still trying hard to show his evil face to the public.

I am now for any team that tromps the Eagles and sacks Vick. I cringe when I watch players whom I have always admired go up to him and treat him like he is a normal human being instead of sociopathic loser. Shame on the Eagles for hiring such a thug! I wil not watch Eagle games and I will never root for a team that hires this low-life in the future! He should be in jail, now making millions!

I have read about this guy. He is sick psychopath, he will never change. I deeply despite him and people like him. He should be banned for life from having any animal. He should not be allowed to get close that 30 feet to any kind of animal.

Before fleeing the east coast, the Eagles were our Home team. Back when they signed Vick, we never watched another of their games or purchased another shirt, hat, etc. in personal protest. We did, however, wear buttons that read “Hide Your Beagle, Vick’s an Eagle” and were harassed for them. Nearly every animal we share our lives with, were rescued from people who abused and/or neglected them; one to the point of near death who, four years later still bears severe psychological damage. These animals are our friends, our family. It horrified us to see how quickly the (rabid) Eagles fans were able to disregard the crimes committed by Vick, shrug, and say something like “Well he served his sentence.” I have to ask…Did he? Perhaps according to the judicial system he did. But sometimes things have a way of coming back to us.

I sent an overnight to the Judge in this horrific case, begging him to give M.V. as long a sentence as possible, plus issue a lifetime ban on him ever owning a dog again. I think there was a three year ban issued which may have been the longest permissible, but I read that he has since acquired another dog. I hope someone is watching him. The fact that he did so, shows me he has not changed one bit. Why would someone who so brutally treated these helpless animals, want one that he had to be kind to? I think the Eagles will have a huge backlash over this, just the fact that he wanted another dog, shows me how insensitive he is to the wave of disgust that swept all over the country and other countries. I personally do not believe he is capable of treating any animal well.

Almost all of us grew up eating meat, wearing leather, and going to circuses and zoos. We never considered the impact of these actions on the animals involved. For whatever reason, you are now asking the question: Why should animals have rights? Read more.